Going Home

During your stay, a care manager will help you make plans for your discharge. If you're returning to your local hospital for further recovery, arrangements will be made with the appropriate people there to make the transition as smooth as possible. If you're going directly home, a care manager will meet with you and your family to help anticipate any treatment, referrals, resources, or training you'll need to be comfortable at home.

If you would prefer to contact Care Management yourself, dial extension 37843, or 973-7843 from outside the hospital. Another good resource for home-based services is the Senior Information Line, at extension 37094, or 973-7094 from outside the medical center.

You will receive a complete list of all home care and long-term care options to help you make your choice.

Discharge Day
Your nurse will give you written information about the prescriptions and additional treatment your doctor has ordered for you. He or she may want you to schedule follow-up appointments from home. Before you leave, be sure you understand any instructions your doctor or nurse gives you about your care at home. Remember, we're still here if you have questions or need help once you're home.

If your doctor has given you prescriptions that need to be filled, plan to have money or a check brought to you so you can get your medications. Affiliated Pharmacy, a retail pharmacy affiliated with EMMC, is conveniently located beside the main entrance to the medical center. If you call ahead, your prescriptions can be waiting for you when you arrive. You can dial extension 8888 or 973-8888 from outside the medical center. Prescriptions filled through Affiliated Pharmacy must be paid for at the time of purchase and may not be charged to your hospital bill.

Packing for Home
As you prepare to go home, check the closet and drawers in your room for personal belongings. We will hold any personal articles we find in your room for 30 days. Please phone the nursing station on the floor where you stayed to ask about articles left behind.

If you've placed valuable items or papers in the medical center safe at Registration, don't forget to retrieve them before you leave. To collect your belongings, you'll need the receipt you were given when you deposited them.

The Ride Home
As good as you may expect to feel when you leave, you should plan to have a family member or friend waiting to give you a ride home. If you have personal belongings to remove from your room, please ask your driver to arrive early to help with these items. If you were admitted through the Emergency Department, you may need a change of clothing brought to you.

Please remember that a car seat is required before newborns can be discharged.
If you plan to use public transportation or a taxi, you'll want to be sure you have enough cash for that purpose.

Courtesy Discharge
When financial arrangements—insurance or other—have been made with your admissions representative, a "courtesy discharge" notation will be made on your chart. "Courtesy discharge" allows you to be discharged directly.

If financial arrangements have not been made in advance, you or a responsible family member will be asked to take a discharge slip to Registration in order to complete plans.

Discharge Escort
When you are ready to leave, an EMMC volunteer or staff member will bring a wheelchair to take you to the main entrance. Although you may be able to walk, we appreciate your cooperation in allowing us to escort you.

Reconnecting
When you get home, we urge you to check in with your family physician or the physician who referred you to us. Your personal physician can help make sure your recovery continues as expected.

No Tipping, Please!
Employees of Eastern Maine Medical Center are not permitted to accept gratuities from patients, their relatives, or friends. Efficient and courteous service is yours as part of our standard for patient care. It is our goal to make your stay with us as pleasant as we possibly can, and it's our pleasure to serve you.

At Northern Light Health, we’re building a better approach to healthcare because we believe people deserve access to care that works for them. As an integrated health delivery system serving Maine, we’re raising the bar with no-nonsense solutions that are leading the way to a healthier future for our state. Our more than 12,000 team members are committed to making healthcare work for you: our patients, communities, and employees.